Qui-Gon's Revenge
by Miss-Inquisitive-Sci-fi
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi has gone too far, has pushed his Master time and time again to balance precariously over the abyss of patience. Qui-Gon Jinn has had enough of the maverick tendencies' manifesting in his Padawan so strives to put a stop to the endless cycle once and for all, perhaps indulging in a little sweet revenge along the way. Sequel to Aggressive Negotiations.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - So this is the sequel to aggressive negotiations, this can also be read as a stand-alone story as references are explained. I have been meaning to write this for some time but alas I have been very busy with exams and updating my other stories. This will probabaly be 6 or 7 chapter's although future chapters are looking longer than this one, hopefully I will be able to update every couple of days if my schedule remains free! Anyways I hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 1**

 _'A Jedi shall not know anger. Nor hatred. Nor love. a Jedi shall not know revenge…'_

The mantra continued in Qui-Gon Jinn's mind over and over again, berating him for his unsavoury thoughts. He glared into the depths of a rapidly cooling mug of tea, the usual calming scent of the leaves did not seem to be diminishing his temper today or thirst for revenge. _'A Jedi shall not know revenge'_ his own mind reminded him.

Qui-Gon scoffed at the phrase, evidently every Jedi who had ever lived by this code had never encountered _his_ Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was brought out of the perilous musings by a slight cough from the room's other occupant, Tahl Uvain.

"Brooding again?" Her harmonic voice was like sweet music to Qui-Gon's ears, if there was one person in the entire galaxy who could aid in calming his frazzled nerves then it was her.

"Nothing so extreme." He replied whilst pushing aside the chilled mug.

Tahl's amber eyes narrowed as she critically inspected her life-long friend, supposedly reaching a conclusion after just mere moments.

"Definitely brooding…" She murmured decisively.

Qui-Gon resigned to look away as of course Tahl was close to unearthing each and every one of his thoughts, the action did not do much to dissuade her.

"Is this still about Obi-Wan?!"

Her incredulous expression had Qui-Gon redirect his burning gaze to her direction, ' _of course this is still about Obi-Wan…'_ He mused quietly to himself, temper threatening to re-emerge at the thought of his Padawan.

"He's gone too far Tahl, he always does." Qui-Gon claimed making an effort to calm himself before continuing. "He borders dangerously closely to disrespect."

Even though he could sense Tahl was attempting to suppress a grin one inevitably found it's way onto her graceful features. It was not long until the grin transformed into a light chuckle, obviously finding humour at her friend's expense. He actually glowered at his friend when she imagined the moment Qui-Gon was discussing, well one of many moments…

"It's not funny." He growled.

"Oh I agree, it's _hilarious."_ Her amber eyes twinkled with mirth, easily melting most of Qui-Gon's anger away.

Qui-Gon attempted to banish the remaining unsavoury thoughts, failing more often than not. He at least managed to calm the vast majority of his frazzled nerves and ceased glaring at Tahl, knowing she would never deserve his wrath. The obvious query then hung over the pair, ' _Why had he done nothing about it?'_

Of course Qui-Gon had, or rather had _attempted_ to. Each and every time Obi-Wan deserved the discipline or punishment he had somehow or another escaped justice.

"Every time it comes to punishing Obi-Wan he has either been caught up in an horrific accident or succumbed to injury…"

"Which of course is your weakness, _pathetic life forms._ " Qui-Gon was interrupted before he could come to a conclusion by his still smirking companion.

"He idolises you, he's got you wrapped round his little finger Qui…' She continued brutally, unearthing every perilous truth about their apprenticeship.

"I never taught him such blatant disobedience." Qui-Gon huffed in a last ditch attempt for a defence, staring directly into his friend's gaze willing for her to back down.

Of course Tahl only smiled at the attempt before mercilessly continuing.

"Never? Did you really think that after watching you rebel against your fellow Jedi, hells the Council, that he wouldn't pick up anything along the way?"

Qui-Gon huffed as the words rang true, the force singing with the new-found clarity Tahl was gifting him.

"You are the legendary maverick and he stands dutifully by your side throughout it…" She leaned forward to deliver the final crushing line, not sparing his feelings in such a crucial moment. "You really only have yourself to blame".

Qui-Gon scowled out of his balcony doors as the truth confirmed what he already knew, it was _his_ fault that Obi-Wan's mischievous streak remained. When the time came to correct the fault his own _attachment_ to the boy stopped him, whether it be through paternal worry or simply the dangerous fault of guilt Qui-Gon had never been able to set aside his feelings.

The latest of his apprentice's blunders had ended with him chasing the boy down, intent on giving him a good thrashing in the dojo so the young Padawan would finally learn his place. When Qui-Gon had eventually found his wayward apprentice, the boy had succumbed to injuries received on their latest ill-fated mission. Naturally Qui-Gon raced his Padawan to the healers and remained by the boy's side until he woke, all past deeds forgotten for the time. Obi-Wan had escaped justice once more all because of his Master's failing…

Qui-Gon's murderous scowl transformed into a slight grin as he continued to stare out of his balcony windows, specifically at his vast collection of plants. He had just had an exceedingly bright idea, one that was serving to cheer him up no end. Of course it didn't take long at all for his companion to sense his increasingly joyous mood, she glared suspiciously at her friend's abrupt change in behaviour until she discovered the terrible truth for herself.

"Oh Qui, you can't! That is evil even for you." She admonished, willing Qui-Gon to choose a different path.

"Nonsense." Qui-Gon shrugged off, eyes gleaming with a new-found way forward. "It will do us both the world of good."

Tahl snorted at Qui-Gon's use of the word _good_ , evidently not fore-seeing the same outcome that he was.

"You have a _very_ different meaning for that word Qui." She stated worryingly, shaking her head over the many possible disastrous outcome's of his plan.

"Obi-Wan has a deficiency in his training, I am simply _correcting_ it." He grinned, knowing full well there were other personal reasons why this idea had popped into his head. "He needs more time communing with the living force."

Tahl sighed deeply willing for her stubborn friend to change his mind, knowing that he would not.

"He will hate you for it you know?"

"A Jedi shall not know hate," he quipped back reverting his gaze to meet her's, positively beaming over the idea.

"A Jedi shall not know _revenge,_ " she quoted straight back at him, un-nerved by his penetrating stare.

Qui-Gon simply shrugged off the implications, resolute in his decision and new found-plan to _show_ his mischievous Padawan who exactly was calling the shots round here. Tahl of course held his gaze, urging him to turn back from the deadly path he was walking on, sighing when she found no chink in his armour she could capitalise on.

"This will all end in disaster." The Jedi Master warned firmly.

At that moment the Jinn/Kenobi apartment's front door swished open, admitting a swaggering Padawan. The surefooted apprentice noticed the company immediately and proceeded to bow and greet both Master's. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows as he registered the atmosphere, noted the looks on both of the Master's faces. Tahl held a pitying gaze, whilst Qui-Gon simply beamed, adorning a look mirroring his Padawan's most common pose, devious planning.

Obi-Wan dropped his bag, subconsciously moving into a defensive stance, hand hovering over the hilt of his light saber. He did not know what in the seven hells was going on, but whatever it was could not be _good._ He suspiciously glared at Qui-Gon which caused the elder Jedi to chuckle darkly, almost _evilly._

"Master what's going on?" Obi-Wan questioned, not once relaxing his posture.

Tahl's pity blasted into him in waves whatever was about to happen was obviously not going to be good news for him, it worried Obi-Wan immensely. Instead of answering Qui-Gon stepped up from the breakfast bar and turned to meet his Padawan head on, Obi-Wan's confusion only grew with the action. That was until however the Jedi Master started to project images across their bond, Obi-Wan averted his attention to them. Looking for an answer to his question, _any_ answer would quite frankly do.

The thoughts translated into images in his own mind, lusciously green rainforests, majestic waterfalls, night's under the stars… Obi-Wan recoiled and wrinkled his face in disgust, _How uncivilised…_

That was when he realised just why his Master had showed him those images, why everyone in the room looked the way they did. With the truth came horrifying realisation, he questionably looked at his Master hoping and wishing that this was some kind of _sick_ joke. The resigned look from Tahl however informed him otherwise. Obi-Wan's face lost all colour to turn white, _ashen_ , as his Master confirmed his worst fears.

"We're going on a trip Padawan."

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 **A/N - Poor old Obi-Wan... he never catches a break! If you enjoyed this/are wondering where it's all going feel free to drop me a message or review :)**

 **Until next time...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - We jump ahead to the trip in this chapter, I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it!**

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 **Chapter 2**

Glancing down at the cards in his hands Obi-Wan could already foresee an undesirable end, a resounding defeat looming over the current sabaac game occupying his time. He sighed miserably over the inevitable prospect before glancing suspiciously across at his Master who adorned a smug grin, it seemed both parties were well aware of Obi-Wan's upcoming loss. The severity of the glare only increased when the next hand was played and Qui-Gon miraculously stepped further towards victory, Obi-Wan was understandably thinking of ways the elder Jedi could be cheating as this had happened more than once on their journey. Qui-Gon only smiled innocently as he picked up the thoughts, Obi-Wan narrowed his gaze he was not fooled.

"I think your cheating." He declared boldly, throwing down the remainder of his cards in defiant defeat.

"How would one do that Padawan?"

The manner in which Qui-Gon answered all but confirmed Obi-Wan's sneaking suspicions, from the slight mocking tone to the mischievous glint in his Master's gaze. It was the only logical explanation.

"You could have mind-tricked me into losing!" Obi-Wan boldly exclaimed.

His mild annoyance transformed into full-blown outrage as Qui-Gon chuckled over the idea, _mocking_ the idea.

"If I could _mind-trick_ you my dear Padawan don't you think I would have used the skill for good? Like making you tidy your room?"

Obi-Wan scowled at his teacher as the words rang true in the force, if not a mind-trick then it had to be something else, nobody was _that_ lucky.

"Well then you must have looked at my cards when I went to check on the systems!" Obi-Wan half-squeaked, desperately trying to find an explanation that would explain his Master's winning streak.

Qui-Gon sobered slightly at the words, almost hurt by the accusation. Obi-Wan almost relented completely at the response but his resolve to find the truth thankfully held.

"I wouldn't betray your trust like that Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon spoke solemnly, the glint of mischief gone as he directed his promise directly into Obi-Wan's soul.

Obi-Wan gulped over the sincerity of the words, something was still nagging at the edge of his perception however, something which told him there was more to his Master's game strategy then he had revealed. A wolfish grin spread across Qui-Gon's face as he registered his Padawan's thoughts, realised that the boy was not going to be scared off the subject that easily.

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Sorry Master, but respectfully you are a cheat." Obi-Wan stubbornly replied, arms crossing in a huff across his chest.

"Prove it then." Qui-Gon teased, eyes twinkling with mirth.

A beeping had both of the ship's occupants glance towards the cockpit, Obi-Wan rose to his feet swiftly and made his way towards the controls. They were more than halfway through their journey now and the auto-pilot needed some alterations due to an impeding ion storm. After completing the necessary adjustments and nudging the temperature controls up slightly Obi-Wan made his way back to Qui-Gon, shaking away the chill which clung to his skin, like it always did when they undertook space travel.

Qui-Gon had reset the board in his absence, already confirming all was well with the ship through their training bond. Obi-Wan took his place and picked up the new cards, determined to keep an eye on his Master this round. He _really_ wanted to beat him, just once.

Several hours later Obi-Wan was doing remarkably well, his hand was strong and best of all Qui-Gon's position was weakening by the second. His Master had an impeccable poker face however that didn't stop Obi-Wan from picking up on the minute signs, the slight rise in temperature and heart rate, the small tapping he did with his foot. Obi-Wan knew his Master's nervous ticks just as the elder man knew his, they had spent far too long in one another's company not to. Obi-Wan beamed as the game finally seemed to be going his way, before he could start gloating the silence was interrupted by a beep from the console.

Qui-Gon looked up at the interruption, a new glimmer of hope rekindling in his eyes. _Oh no you don't…_ Obi-Wan thought menacingly. There was _no way_ his Master was going to be offered such a reprieve.

"We both know it's nothing, if you walk away now I'll take that as a concession." Obi-Wan warned just before Qui-Gon went to stand, an evil gleam in his eye. He was not about to let this victory go.

Qui-Gon's gaze narrowed and nostrils flared at the words, pride forcing him to settle back down again. If there was anything to be said about Qui-Gon Jinn it was that he rarely walked away from a challenge.

They continued onward ignoring the computer's request for confirmation, Obi-Wan continued to gain a tactical advantage and Qui-Gon had actually started to sweat over the upcoming defeat. He did _not_ like losing. Just as the game was coming to a close the beeping emitting from the console altered to a shrill screeching, a moment later the vessel rocked to the side and the lights flickered under a shockwave.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's impressive reflex's saved them from a meeting with the floor, they both looked at one another for a brief moment before throwing down their cards and racing towards the source of danger, game all but forgotten.

Obi-Wan skidded into the cockpit first just in time to grab at the controls and avoid a very nasty collision, Qui-Gon took up the position next to him and started to read out the locations of incoming projectiles.

"It looks like a storm has destabilised the astroid belt." Qui-Gon theorised as he glanced out of the viewport at all the spinning chunks of rock, some were up to three times larger than their ship.

"Do you think we should turn back?"

Obi-Wan risked a glance at his teacher in between dodging rocks, Qui-Gon seemed to mull the question over whilst checking on the galactic map.

"No, we are closer to the planet than the edge of the field. It will be much safer to continue."

Obi-Wan nodded over the plan, teeth gritted in concentration and knuckles turning white over how hard he was gripping the yoke. Avoiding the perilous chunks of rock was taking up all of his concentration. He felt a reassuring hand grip his shoulder as he felt his panic start to rise.

"Calm Padawan, trust in the force. You can do this."

Obi-Wan nodded determinedly, thankful that his Master was here to ground and aid him. That was how they continued the last leg of their journey, Obi-Wan at the helm with Qui-Gon reading out incoming information and updated trajectory coordinates, as Obi-Wan delved deeper and deeper into the force he began to find the task _effortless_. Their ship danced between the rocks at dizzying speeds, any other pilot would surely have perished by now but with their Jedi reflexes and the force the task became inconsequential.

Eventually they were above the planet and when Qui-Gon had issued the latest readouts, Obi-Wan began to prepare for entry into the atmosphere. As they rocketed towards the surface Obi-Wan realised the next part would really push his skill, hundreds of asteroids fell with them towards the planet's surface. Thankfully the vast majority had burned up and therefore had been drastically reduced in size, of course the larger asteroids were still substantial even after re-entry.

Obi-Wan felt his concentration slip just for a moment as he worried over the consequence's, Qui-Gon shouted out a warning but it was too late to make any sort of adjustment. The ship rocked off course as a chunk of rock slammed into them from the side, with enough velocity to give the two Jedi a jolt. Obi-Wan wrestled for control of the ship as they hurtled towards the ground at an alarming speed, his panic increased as the vessel refused to level out properly. He felt Qui-Gon's rock-solid calming presence touch his mind and instantly felt the effects, striving to control the overwhelming feelings. He was thankful that the world his Master had chosen was unpopulated by sentients, he didn't have to worry about casualties. _Well other than us_ , his subconscious grimly informed him.

Qui-Gon routed some of the power through to his controls and proceeded to aid in the attempt to level the ship out, the strain showed on both Jedi's faces as they pulled back on their yokes and reached out into the force to slow the ship's plummeting velocity. Between them the ship mercifully levelled out and the velocity was reduced to a much safer level.

Obi-Wan braced himself for a bumpy landing as he touched down in a wide clearing. The vessel skidded along the ground for a couple of hundred yards, ripping and churning up the ground underneath, before coming to a jolting stop just shy of the clearing's edge. He didn't let go of the iron-grip he had until Qui-Gon gently pulled him away, adrenaline and shock rushed up to meet him as soon as he attempted to stand. Funnily his legs felt wobbly.

"I _hate_ flying." He ground out as Qui-Gon helped him out of the ship and onto solid ground.

"Nevertheless you did _wonderfully_."

Obi-Wan allowed himself to be steered towards a log which they both sat upon, thankful that the force had been with them throughout the storm. Things could have gotten a lot worse, they were lucky to get away with just the glancing blow. After they had allowed themselves the time to readjust to surroundings they turned their attention back to the ship, gratefully a lot of the damage looked to be superficial.

They both proceeded to give the engines and equipment a thorough examination to check for any hidden damage, it would not do to take off in a _death-trap_.

"Should we call for a pick-up Master?" Even though Obi-Wan tried he couldn't help but keep all of the hopefulness out of his voice.

Qui-Gon chuckled at the attempt, glancing over at Obi-Wan and shaking his head with glee.

"No my Padawan, I'm afraid you're not getting out of this one so easily."

"But Master we crashed! It's a bad omen I'm telling you." Obi-Wan replied frustratedly, finished with his examination of the engine components.

"Nonsense it was merely a diversion, the only thing seriously damaged is the long-range communications. We have everything we need to complete our goal's." Qui-Gon too had completed his check of all major systems and dealt the devastating blow to his Padawan's dreams of an escape mercilessly.

Obi-Wan scowled at the _filthy_ ground as realisation dawned that he would not be granted a miracle, it seemed in the end the force was not with him. He obediently followed Qui-Gon to the back of the ship and helped the Jedi Master retrieve their bags, gaping at the sheer _amount_ of packing the Jedi Master had done.

"How long are we staying here?" Obi-Wan squeaked fearfully as he saw that they had provisions to last a _very long_ time.

"As long as it takes Padawan, whether that be a few days or weeks that is down to you." Qui-Gon happily replied as he picked up half of the luggage and headed away from the ship.

"If it's anymore than a few days I can't promise I won't turn to the dark side…" Obi-Wan muttered to himself quietly,

"What was that Padawan?" Qui-Gon spun, a warning look in his gaze.

"Nothing Master." Obi-Wan groaned miserably before hauling the rest of the gear on his shoulders, grunting under the strain of how heavy it was.

"Just as I thought."

Qui-Gon spun back around and continued his stroll away from the ship, when his Master did not slow down at the edge of the clearing Obi-Wan was confused.

"Are we not camping by the ship?"

Qui-Gon stared back incredulously at his student, as if the answer was too obvious to have to be spoken. He looked amused by Obi-Wan's sour mood even though Jedi were not supposed to revel in another's misery, _perhaps I should remind him of that little rule…_

"What and have _technology_ and _distractions_ so nearby? This is all about you communing with the _living_ force Padawan, that means nature." Qui-Gon indicated the vast expanse as he spoke, evidently in awe over their surroundings.

Obi-Wan glanced around their surroundings also, unimpressed by what he saw. Obviously he was observing something vastly different to Qui-Gon. His Master shook his head in mild annoyance over the snub before beckoning for Obi-Wan to catch up, and steering him towards what looked like a gruelling hiking trail.

As Obi-Wan stumbled his mood grew sourer, he continued to follow Qui-Gon dutifully however as the elder Jedi marched them further and further away from their only link with the outside world. The oppressing heat burned his fair skin and pesky bugs invaded personal space, one even had the audacity to take refuge on his neck. Slapping the blasted thing before it bit him Obi-Wan glanced at the smeared remains of the creature on his hand, scowling in disgust over the sight before wiping the sticky remnants on a nearby plant.

"So _uncivilised."_ He darkly muttered.

He rushed to catch up to the Jedi Master who was practically jogging along the uneven ground, heavy packs seemingly doing nothing to slow his pace. Looking ahead Obi-Wan saw only _green_ , no sign of anything but nature, his scrutinising gaze fell on Qui-Gon's back as the man began to hum a jolly tune. It seemed the Jedi was finally getting his revenge.

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 **A/N - I'm actually writing this a lot quicker than I expected so the next chapter should be up fairly soon**

 **Until next time...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - So here's the next part :) I'm having quite a lot of fun writing with these two again incase you hadn't noticed :D Hope you enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 3**

Obi-Wan's muscles started to burn as he and Qui-Gon pushed onward, heading farther and farther away from their crash site or _bumpy landing_ as his Master had absurdly called it. The many backpacks that Obi-Wan was carrying were starting to drag him down, the immense weight inevitably winning it's battle over the Padawan's back. He wiped away more sweat from his brow and swatted a number of intrusive bugs to clear his vision once more, the heat on the planet was more than oppressive, it was _sweltering_.

His gaze fell onto Qui-Gon's back as the elder Jedi continued onwards at the same merciless brutal pace, not once showing any sign of discomfort over his surroundings. Obi-Wan could tell the Jedi Master was endlessly enjoying every moment of the hike, annoyingly for Obi-Wan this included his own struggles. If Obi-Wan didn't know any better he would have assumed that Qui-Gon had only one thing on his mind when he brought the pair here, _revenge_. Of course just thinking such a thought was an insult to the Jedi Master, Qui-Gon would never be that petty. Obi-Wan's brows furrowed in deep contemplation as the thought process continued, even though Qui-Gon _knew_ better all the signs so far had been pointing towards one goal and that seemed to be revelling in Obi-Wan's misery.

As he observed the ever-changing surroundings Obi-Wan subconsciously wrinkled his nose in disgust, it was clear this was his Master's favoured environment, _not his_. The luscious green landscape rolled outwards farther than the eye could see, through a small clearing Obi-Wan could see the majority of the world's landscape was Jungle. In the distance there was a colossal mountain climbing upwards to disappear above the clouds, falling from the side to crash into a winding river below was a majestic waterfall. The entire scene was like something out of Qui-Gon's memories, or dreams. Obi-Wan knew this was precisely what the Jedi Master would define as _perfection._

Obi-Wan did not see the same beauty that his Master did, he much preferred and was more at home in a technological environment, or at least a _civilised_ one. The living force was not something which he was naturally attuned to, so Obi-Wan hadn't been able to appreciate the surroundings as well as Qui-Gon had It was a shame his Master could not accept this, he believed as he always had that Obi-Wan needed to live in the present moment and follow in his Master's ways. Even if Obi-Wan wanted to do this he couldn't, it just wasn't the way he experienced things and also the force was not pushing him in that direction.

As his concentration was elsewhere Obi-Wan didn't notice an overgrowing tree root and so stumbled over the blasted thing, arms flailing in an attempt to rebalance himself, the last thing he needed was to go face-down into the dirt and get even more _filthy_. He caught a small chuckle from Qui-Gon who turned to watch his student's scowling, eyes glinting with joy. Obi-Wan's gaze narrowed at the elder Jedi, suspicions confirmed over the _true_ purpose of this trip, Qui-Gon was out for revenge.

The Jedi Master in question stifled another laugh at the sight of his student's attempts of righting himself, realising when mercy was called for. He gripped the Padawan's arm just as the precarious balance of bags almost had the boy toppling backwards, very nearly being too late to forestall a quite nasty accident if the tumble were to continue unimpeded. His Padawan was so prone to accidents he realised he would have to be vigilant if they were to last the week's as planned. Obi-Wan looked up gratefully as he was caught, a look of hopefulness twinkling from his exhausted features at the prospect of stopping soon.

Qui-Gon took pity on the sweat-soaked apprentice and proceeded to scout out a camping area nearby, he did have a weakness for pathetic life-forms after all. After pushing through a few more meters of Jungle both Master and apprentice were rewarded with finding a suitable clearing in which to pitch their tents. Obi-Wan dropped the heavy backpacks which landed with a thud, perhaps Qui-Gon _had_ made the boy shoulder too much for such a gruelling trek. Realising the Padawan needed an obvious break he came up with a plan of action which would utilise both of their remaining strengths.

"I'll go and collect some fire wood, if you can deal with the camp-site Padawan." Qui-Gon's lips quirked with sarcasm as he proceeded to tease the boy, "I hope you know how to pitch a tent?"

Obi-Wan's glare could have killed lesser men, he was clearly not amused with the wit after such a gruelling trek in tough temperatures. Qui-Gon marvelled at just _how_ much Obi-Wan despised being out here in the open, with nature. For him this would never be a punishment, frankly it was as close to a holiday as the Jedi were ever to get, clearly from Obi-Wan's scowl he did not agree with the assessment.

"Yes Master." He eventually replied miserably, dragging himself up from the heap he had collapsed into.

Qui-Gon nodded once accepting the change in attitude even it was slight, before heading off on his own task. The image of Obi-Wan's disgust over their surroundings would be imprinted onto his mind for a long time to come, Qui-Gon chuckled over the image once more and catalogued the mental thought away for future blackmailing use, his plan was coming along _wonderfully._

Qui-Gon returned some time later with an abundance of wood to be pleasantly surprised to see the campsite up and running, Obi-Wan lay in the shelter of one of the tents with what appeared to be a data pad in his hands. Qui-Gon shook his head slowly, he had banned _all_ electronics for the duration of the trip yet the Padawan had still managed to slip one past his nose.

Obi-Wan noticed his presence eventually tearing his eyes from the data-pad to look up guiltily at the Jedi Master, puppy-dog eyes making an appearance in a plea for leniency. Qui-Gon had long ago discovered how to ignore _those_ eyes so proceeded to force pull the data-pad from his startled student's hands.

"No technology." Qui-Gon admonished whilst moving to pocket the pad inside his own tent.

Obi-Wan in response crossed his arms across his chest and huffed, looking around the wide expanse for a suitable replacement to bide his time yet finding none.

"What am I supposed to _do_ out here then?"

Qui-Gon reappeared from his tent also glancing around, seeing many tasks they could be both getting on with. However at that particular moment he was so hot and sweaty that the only thing the Master wished for was a nice cool bathe, the thought reverberated across to Obi-Wan who displayed his revulsion for the idea quite visibly.

With his mind made up Qui-Gon rose and headed in the direction of the water source they could both hear, indicating to Obi-Wan to follow him also. He caught the faint whisper the Padawan spoke which caused a grin to spread over his own features. 'So uncivilised.'

It had taken a good deal of coaxing but eventually the Padawan relented to orders and joined Qui-Gon in the refreshing river waters, stripping off the heavy top garments and leaving his saber in a pile alongside Qui-Gon's. At first all that could be heard was Obi-Wan's distaste for the activity, as well as complaints over the temperature of the water and how a good shower was far superior in every way. Qui-Gon was sick of the complaining so decided to _show_ his Padawan just how fun bathing in a river could be. When the boy had his back turned Qui-Gon attacked.

"Master!" Obi-Wan defiantly outraged, spluttering as the icy water dripped into his mouth.

Qui-Gon only beamed, effectively issuing the challenge. Obi-Wan of course rose to the test a moment later with a feral growl, showing off an impressive manipulation of the force as a tidal wave crashed into the Jedi Master with surprising force. He managed to hold off a good amount of his Padawan's attack but still ended up getting absolutely drenched with the dregs of the river. Obi-Wan smirked over the success of the assault before darting away as fast as his legs would carry him when Qui-Gon's next attack manifested.

The air was soon filled with the shrieks of delight over the mock battle, the joys of laughter as the levity in the river was palpable. Both Jedi lost themselves in the duel, simply enjoying _living_ in the present moment. It was because of this fact that Qui-Gon did not realise the threat sooner, did not recognise the warnings in the force as he should have done, they had both been _terribly_ distracted.

"Obi-Wan!" He cried out in warning as a creature launched itself at the Padawan's head.

The warning had almost been cried too late, Obi-Wan it seemed had identified the threat just moments before Qui-Gon, perhaps seeing more clearly the events of the future with his affinity with the unifying force. The Padawan skilfully pivoted so his head was no longer the aim of the creatures jaw, of course he simply had not had the time to move quickly enough to avoid the attack all together.

A shrill cry of agony rang through the previous joyous air, chilling Qui-Gon to the very core as it obliterated any levity remaining. The crystal blue waters stained to a murky red as Obi-Wan's precious life source spilled into the river. Qui-Gon had his saber in his hand in the next instant, striking out at the predator before it could do anymore damage. The smoking carcass sank to the bottom of the river to lay at rest, it's devastation already completed.

Qui-Gon hurried over to Obi-Wan who was huddled over, protecting his mauled limb. He was breathing in deeply in an attempt to push away the pain, just like he had been taught. Qui-Gon steered the shivering Padawan out of the river to the safety of shore, glancing around in earnest so as to not miss anymore of the savage creatures. He could not sense any other life forms nearby, it seemed to have been a lone hunter.

"Here let me see."

Qui-Gon forced Obi-Wan to sit outside his tent, force grabbing the bag with medical supplies in it with a frivolous use of the force. Obi-Wan finally looked up at him, eyes filled with pain but he seemed to be doing a good job of controlling the feelings. Qui-Gon felt pride well up inside him over the display, the sheer will power of ignoring the misery.

"What the hell was that?" He grumbled as Qui-Gon moved his hand away in order to get a closer look at the wound.

Obi-Wan winced and grimaced as his Master brushed against the wound too harshly, the tall Master sympathised with the pain as he saw the depth of the scratches which had been administered.

"It looked like some kind of reptile creature."

"Blasted thing…" Obi-Wan replied grumpily, slightly dejected that he did not have the opportunity to slay the beast.

"You certainly have an infinity for trouble Padawan mine," His eyes twinkled as Obi-Wan scowled over the obvious truth. "I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you."

"I don't need babysitting…"

Qui-Gon laughed heartily before sobering when he pressed a bacta bandage against Obi-Wan's shoulder in an attempt to stem the blood flow, laying off a tad when the boy hissed in discomfort.

"Breath." Qui-Gon reminded him gently, the force could be a powerful ally when relied upon.

Obi-Wan did as he was told and soon the pain was at a manageable enough level for Qui-Gon to continue cleaning the wound and wrap it up, it had looked far worse than it was actually was which was usually the case with wounds. Now that the blood had been stopped and wiped away the deep gashes looked a lot less worrisome, of course moving the shoulder would now cause the Padawan some discomfort. Qui-Gon sent as many healing energies as he could manage into the boy's shoulder, revelling in the signs of Obi-Wan's loss of pain.

As Qui-Gon secured the dressings Obi-Wan's look of discomfort had transformed into annoyance, he evidently knew they were both not paying attention to their surroundings and the Padawan had paid the price for it. A lesson had already been imparted on the trip, even if it had unwelcome repercussions, for both Master and apprentice. Never become complacent.

"We were _both_ remiss." Qui-Gon amended his Padawan's self-blaming thoughts.

"Yes Master." The Padawan answered miserably, scowling at the new reason to hate this place.

Qui-Gon sighed, all had been going well and he had actually managed to get his stubborn Padawan laughing. Looking down at the shivering boy he knew their time on planet could be coming to an end, Obi-Wan was injured which automatically had Qui-Gon's thoughts turn to getting off planet and getting the boy to a med-bay.

"We'll head back as soon as you're ready Padawan."

Obi-Wan's head shot up quicker than a blaster bolt, defence flashing in his brilliant blue eyes. The action was rather intriguing and unpredicted, the Padawan wanted nothing more than to get back to civilisation.

"I don't need to Master, it's just a flesh wound." Obi-Wan argued decidedly, steely determination shining from his eyes.

Qui-Gon swept a critical gaze over the Padawan, coming to the conclusion that after a good night's rest the boy could indeed carry on here, it was just unexpected to hear that from Obi-Wan's lips and not his own. His protective streak had blinded his decision making and judgement, if Obi-Wan was sure then…

"You don't have to Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon added gently, all thoughts of revenge and the purpose of this mission forgotten.

"I'm not quitting."

Qui-Gon smiled over the sheer resolve, he had called Obi-Wan's actions unpredictable but really they had been predictable, he had just been blind. When it really mattered, when there was a purpose to something then Obi-Wan would never quit over a matter that he would see as trivial as an injury. Even though the Padawan desired to be as far away from the planet as possible he wouldn't take the easy way out, he wouldn't disappoint Qui-Gon that way.

Qui-Gon ruffled his hair affectionately, proud of the decision his Padawan had made, a decision worthy of a _Jedi._ He decided to put the boy to sleep now, his apprentice would need as much rest as he could handle in preparation of what was to come on the morrow.

"You are _very_ tired." He added a not so gentle amount of force suggestion to the words as he steered his Padawan into his own tent.

"I'm not _that_ simple-minded Master." The boy glanced back defiantly, offended by Qui-Gon's pathetic attempt.

"Nevertheless you _will_ sleep now." Qui-Gon pressed on his apprentice's mind ruthlessly, realising he would have to delve deeper to get through the boy's stubbornness.

"I'm not…" He yawned mid-sentence, influenced finally by the force suggestion. "…Sleepy."

Qui-Gon chuckled over the Padawan's resolve, to think the boy thought he had cheated to win the card games by _mind-tricking_ him? Qui-Gon couldn't even get Obi-Wan to sleep on the first attempt, he definitely would not be able to get through the Padawan's rock-solid defences in sabaac with how competitive he was.

"Sleep young one." He pressed as deeply as he could, mustering all the strength he had and pouring it into the command.

Thankfully Obi-Wan's only response was a muffled one, losing the battle to keep his eyes open as the tremendous force of his Master's words crashed down on his mind. His eyes ceased blinking as his head hit the pillow, falling deeply into a slumber which would serve to ensure Obi-Wan rested and hopefully heal the wound in his shoulder.

Qui-Gon brought the blanket up to cover Obi-Wan's bare chest, hands brushing slightly against his Padawan's braid before he rose to leave. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful Obi-Wan looked now, the colour had been restored to his face and it truly was a wonderful sight to see his boyish features pain-free. He left the tent and headed off to prepare the events for the following day, abolishing the notions of calling the entire trip off knowing that Obi-Wan would never forgive him. One thing was for sure, tomorrow would prove to be a _very_ long day...

* * *

 **A/N - I'm actually going to be travelling for a week so there won't be any updates between now and when I get back! I will be posting more as soon as I get back though :)**

 **Until next time...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - I'm back from travelling! This story is looking to be a few more chapters, hopefully things will start picking up Obi-Wan!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Obi-Wan awoke to the harmonic sounds of birds chirping, bugs buzzing alongside the distant crackling of a dying fire, the embers finally losing their remnant spark's of heat. Blearily he opened his eyes, wondering where in the blazes he was before recognising the surroundings of what appeared to be a tent. All of the previous day's memories crashed back into his mind with force, the _bumpy_ landing, the gruelling hike and of course the vicious attack in the river.

He glanced down letting the blanket fall from his chest and proceeded to finger the blood crusted bandage, wincing slightly when he pressed on the wound harder. All in all the healing process had begun well and the night's rest had obviously deemed to improve the level's of discomfort he felt with simple mobility. It would be sore and stiff for a few days to come but Obi-Wan had dealt with far worse.

Something on the edge of the tent caught his gaze, his light saber hilt! Qui-Gon must have retrieved the sacred weapon for him after the attack, as he remembered back to the night before Obi-Wan had an inkling his sleep was not a voluntary affair. He had slept far too long and fallen asleep far too early for that to be the case, he huffed in annoyance as the truth was learnt. His Master had _mind-tricked_ him after all. _The treacherous barve…_

Sensing outwards Obi-Wan realised he couldn't actually _feel_ his Master, the elder Jedi had no reason to be shielding so the logical explanation was that he was no longer in camp. Before Obi-Wan's brain wracked up a list of perilous reasons why he caught sight of a note taped to the front panel of the tent, peeling it off and recognising Qui-Gon's hand writing immediately his rocketing heart rate levelled out. It seems his worrying was misplaced, the Jedi Master was _purposefully_ not here.

 _Good Morning Padawan, as you have probably already noticed I am not present at camp this morning._

 _I imagine you're just about managing to contain the panic, please put a hold on the search party nothing awful has befallen me. I have not been eaten by a beast or kidnapped by tribes people…_

 _For today's task you only have one simple task, find and capture me._

 _I have set off into the wilderness at dawn so by the time you read this I will have had ample time to gain a significant lead, obviously I will be shielding our bond and will mute my presence so as to not make the task too easy. There will be visible clue's for you to follow so you will need to track my movements in order to find me._

 _Well what are you still doing sitting there?_

 _Get a move on Padawan! May the force be with you…_

 _Qui-Gon_

Obi-Wan finished the note chuckling at his Master's accuracy that he would still be sat here, his laughter soon transformed into anxiousness however as the weight of the task became known. He _hated_ tracking, and he would have to track the best, Qui-Gon. He had no doubt his Master would have left red-herrings in his wake, would attempt to throw Obi-Wan off the trail and would keep his force presence so shielded that Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to sense him if he was looking directly at the man. This was going to be damn-near impossible.

Obi-Wan Kenobi did not shrink away from a challenge however, he rose and dressed before striding out of the tent in search of a quick breakfast snack. This could turn out to be a rather _long_ exercise. As he wolfed down the ration bar he scrutinised the clearing in an attempt to decipher which way the Jedi Master had headed in the first place, soon enough he spotted a disturbance on the ground and on closer inspection identified the mark to indeed belong to Qui-Gon. It seemed the elder Jedi had made the first clue fairly obvious, probably still feeling pity over Obi-Wan's near-brush with death the previous day. Obi-Wan knew the clues would not remain so easy, securing his saber at his hip and adjusting the setting to a training power he readied himself to set off, packing bottled water and medical supplies incase his wound reopened. Obi-Wan knew how to take care of himself in a place like this, he just rarely cared to.

Obi-Wan mused whilst packing the last things into his bag, this test was certainly a bright idea of his Master's. The perfect combination of testing tracking skills, perception, sheer stamina and of course saber skills along with tactical decisions for bringing his Master into custody. It certainly covered a lot and mimicked what a real life mission could bring, well a solo mission anyway. Qui-Gon would try his upmost to delay, trick and evade Obi-Wan for as long as possible.

Obi-Wan vowed to find the Jedi Master swiftly, the sooner he could be out of the sweltering heat the better. With that final thought and all necessary provisions packed Obi-Wan set off out of the camp, heading in the direction Qui-Gon had hopefully set off on, sense's out-reaching for any signs of life in the vast Jungle up ahead. _This is going to be a very long day…_

* * *

He followed broken tree branches, disturbed foliage, remainders of boot prints and of course vague remnants of his Master's force presence. Obi-Wan followed each clue further into the jungle expanse, scanning wide with his senses in the slight chance Qui-Gon would leave a slither of information. The only life forms he sensed in the immediate surroundings were habitual to the planet, some as small as lizards, others as large as he. Obviously Obi-Wan hid his presence from the larger predators and skilfully avoided them, he did not want a repeat of yesterday. He marvelled at the sheer amount of life he could identify around him, even the small creatures left an imprint on the living force. Usually he was so enthralled in a mission with all of the sentient life-forms that other creatures didn't even break through his awareness, he had never sensed so much _life_ as he did here. _Perhaps that was why Qui-Gon adored this so much…_

So far he had been turned around more than once, realising the Jedi Master had been leading him on a false trail. He always backtracked to the last known _true_ indicator, huffing slightly in annoyance over the extra ground cover this required all because his Master wished to trick him. Obi-Wan knew his Master well enough to recognise the tactics, he was hoping to disorientate Obi-Wan, potentially preparing for an ambush when the young Jedi was unfocussed and frustrated.

A rustle had his attention peaking, something flared on the edge of his force awareness. His hand flew to rest on his saber hilt, spinning to scan every one of the surroundings, he felt the slight twinge again when he glanced in the direction of overgrown bushes. He furrowed his brows in concentration and delved deeper into the currents, _feeling_ every single life form in the close vicinity, sensing such minute changes that when something flew out of the tree the flare disorientated him for a few moments. He had been _so_ engrossed, so sensitised that the large action and sudden reappearance in the force almost _blinded_ him. Obi-Wan would recognise the dirty tactic anywhere, Qui-Gon.

He withdrew his saber and just about managed to swing the azure blade up in time to stop a rather vicious blow from his Master's emerald weapon, sparks flew as the blades impacted, scorching and singeing either duellist. Qui-Gon's towering form pressed down on his opponent using his strength and stature to his advantage, Obi-Wan's mind registered just exactly _where_ the Jedi Master had dropped from. He had pounced like a cougar from a high up tree, exactly above the area Obi-Wan had been investigating. The force had warned him of something peculiar in the area, Obi-Wan had not recognised the feeling at all as he had never been able to sense anything when his Master was shielding himself to that extent. It was at that moment Obi-Wan held a new respect for the living force, for his Master's seemingly _innocent_ exercise. He was teaching Obi-Wan just exactly how _powerful_ the force could be, even with a task he had always thought impossible such as detecting parts of Qui-Gon even with the man's impressive shielding.

Obi-Wan ducked and rolled away from the stand-still, realising he could not defeat his Master that way, as he did the emerald saber sliced extremely close to his neck leaving a slight searing over the sun-burnt skin. Obi-Wan hissed then rose to meet his opponent head on, adorning a slight smug grin over the fact that he _had_ found Qui-Gon.

"I'm impressed Padawan." Qui-Gon began circling his opponent, keeping the emerald blade ready for any offensive action.

Obi-Wan matched each of Qui-Gon's steps, not allowing his concentration to fall over Qui-Gon's words, he could tell what the man was doing. He was hoping Obi-Wan's acceptance of the compliment would succeed in having him lower his guard, _not bloody likely…_

Qui-Gon struck out at Obi-Wan's neck region forcing the Padawan to raise his own saber swiftly, they parried blow for blow at alarming rates saber's always crashing together again in a shower of sparks. As the dance continued Obi-Wan gritted his teeth as a rather forceful blow struck from the side sent shockwaves up his entire right side, he jumped back out of the combat to re-centre.

As Obi-Wan eyed up his opponent looking for any weaknesses he could exploit he saw Qui-Gon grin, he was enjoying the mock battle just as much as Obi-Wan was. The thrumming sound of the saber's drowned out all other sounds, the surroundings melted away to just leave the two fighters in the centre of the galaxy. Nothing else mattered.

"You can't hide from me." Obi-Wan reminded the elder Jedi as the man glanced away looking for an escape opportunity, the both of them knew that Obi-Wan could find the Jedi Master now he knew what to look for, what the signs were in the force.

"True…" Qui-Gon started, a mischievous glint in his gaze which had Obi-Wan on edge. "However you still have to _catch_ me Padawan mine."

Before Obi-Wan could prepare any defence he felt a tremendous force crash into his mid-section, toppling the young Jedi Padawan backwards and effectively stealing the breath right out of his chest. He gasped loudly as he fell backwards and jolted his shoulder injury, which until now he had been rather successfully been ignoring. To Obi-Wan's utter bewilderment the ground beneath him was not flat, in fact it seems Qui-Gon had force-pushed him over the embankment of a rather steep incline.

Suddenly the circling made sense Obi-Wan realised exactly what his Master had been playing at, he was lining Obi-Wan up for a fall. The fact angered Obi-Wan, even when he thought he had the advantage the Jedi Master had trumped him again, had been planning treachery all along.

Obi-Wan grunted and winced as he continued to tumble backwards down the incline, through thick scratchy bushes and deep puddles of mud. He reached out into the force in an attempt to slow his plummeting, reached out with hands in an effort to grab onto anything which would anchor his descension. Frustratingly Obi-Wan could already hear Qui-Gon scampering away, leaving a stink in the force which Obi-Wan could now clearly track. He heard the elder man's words in his mind before the bond was ruthlessly blocked once more, words which were almost the Padawan's undoing.

 _'You need to be more mindful of your surroundings Obi-Wan! Better luck next time Padawan…'_

* * *

 **A/N - Now that I'm back updates should be regular again, I have got my other story revelation of the sith which will take my attention for some time but writing this era is just as enjoyable :)**

 **Until next time...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - This is now the penultimate chapter to the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

As Obi-Wan continued to tumble down the incline, earning some nasty scrapes and scratches from offending foliage on the way down, the only thing he was concentrating on was reaching the bottom in one piece. More than once his ribs slammed into a perturbing rock, eliciting a minor grunt of annoyance from the Padawan, Obi-Wan thankfully knew how to _fall_ correctly. That was falling without the dangers of breaking bones or any other important part of his autonomy, like his head.

Eventually his tumbling ceased as his hand's finally managed to grip a hold of something which wasn't ripped out immediately, glancing upwards he realised the fall had been quite a long one. His _little_ tumble had churned up half the ground between the top and where he was currently hanging, depressingly he realised the vast majority of the missing earth was sticking to his tunics.

'So uncivilised…' He darkly muttered before grabbing an even better hand-hold to start the long climb back up again.

As he climbed Obi-Wan had to resist the terrible urge to scratch at his arms, they were annoying him and felt like they were about to catch light the longer he ignored the pesky irritation. He delved deep into the force once more intent on tracking his treacherous Jedi Master, he could still sense the direction in which Qui-Gon had fled, he could even _feel_ the giddiness the man had felt watching his apprentice go tumbling over the edge of the Jungle. Obi-Wan proceeded to abolish the angered feelings the memory induced knowing they would only impede his search, would only serve to cloud his emotions and perceptions.

Finally the Jedi Padawan dragged himself back onto steady ground, stood and wiped off as much of the grime now covering him as he could, face transforming into one of disgust over just _how_ filthy he was. The blasted insects and mud had even found their way into his hair, sticking resiliently to braid and nerf-tail alike. He then inspected the source of his highest irritation, the ever-so maddening itching which seemed to be coming from the Padawan's arms. Oddly a rash seemed to be spreading over both of the appendages, only growing in red-ness when he finally gave into the madness and itched.

'Wonderful,' he grumbled whilst attempting to release the irritation so he could at least continue on the hunt. He would sort out the nefarious rash later, as soon as he caught his slippery Master.

With the one goal on his mind Obi-Wan set off into the vast Jungle, picking up the Jedi Master's trail immediately. The Jedi evidently hadn't been as careful in hiding the tracks as the hasty escape took precedence, this would things easier for Obi-Wan. Well for a time anyway. Obi-Wan sprinted under tree trunks, leapt over ravines as he chased after the ever-illusive trail, determined to catch up to Qui-Gon again before it went cold all together.

Just as the Jedi Padawan believed he was closing in on his Master's position did the force suddenly alight with a warning, a flare not unlike the warning he had felt when Qui-Gon jumped down upon his prey like a cougar. Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he realised that was exactly what was catching his attention, a _pouncing_ cougar.

The predator was much faster at falling it's teeth already snapping ready to tear into flesh and render it's opponent defenceless. Even though Obi-Wan's arm had been hovering near the saber hilt, his momentarily shock over the attacker had given the beast an advantage. Before he could fully unsheathe the weapon to defend himself the creature had reached him, bearing it's incredible weight upon the startled Padawan knocking him clean over.

Obi-Wan landed with a cry of shock, the cougar planting itself firmly on top of him, claws digging into any flesh it could reach. His saber hilt went flying after the impact, his hands raised up subconsciously in an attempt to defend his life from the extremely _pointy_ teeth of the cougar. He wrestled with the creature in a desperate attempt to forestall it's attempts to sink it's jaw into his neck, arms receiving several deep scratches as the cougar attempted to extract it's limbs from the Padawan's strong hold.

"Arrghhhhh!" Obi-Wan screamed out in agony as the injury in his shoulder flared, the creature had evidently sensed the blood and was busy trying to claw the shoulder open.

Obi-Wan stared up into the maddening eyes of the predator, not needing the force to see the _burning desire_ this animal had to kill him, to _eat_ him. Out of pure instinct for survival he managed to get his knees beneath the animal bunched up and kicked out with all his strength, calling upon the force to push the creature as far from him as he could manage. The cougar screeched in defiance as it flew away from it's prey slashing out wildly as Obi-Wan leapt to his feet to defend himself, the razor-sharp claws scraped a deep painful gash down the length of his back before it flew further away.

The action caused Obi-Wan to fall to his knees again, agony racing through each and every one of his nerve endings. His throat felt hoarse as the scream erupted from his bloody lips, informing everyone just how painful that clawing had been, how much misery his burning muscles were in. The creature landed perfectly, annoyed at the change of events and being robbed from a kill it was so close to performing.

Distantly he felt Qui-Gon's worried thoughts penetrate the fog which now clouded his mind, it was no use trying to communicate. The fight for survival was taking up all of his limited concentration, the sheer will of not passing out from the pain being his only goal for the fore-seeable future. The cougar prowled teeth bared into a feral growl dripping, dripping with _his_ blood. Obi-Wan fought off a wave of nausea as the beast pounced for his neck once again, knocking aside his attempts of calling the saber hilt to his arm in the process. Obi-Wan realised worryingly he was in trouble…

* * *

Qui-Gon raced through the Jungle, heading directly for the bright distress beacon which was Obi-Wan, heart-rate threatening to beat right out of his chest as he _felt_ the pure agony his Padawan was in. What could the boy have possibly run into in their short separation? He had said it before and will say it again to his apprentice, Obi-Wan was a magnet for trouble. He just willed for the Padawan to still be able to hear the words when he reached him, with that deadly thought the Jedi Master pressed onwards through the thick foliage not once losing the vibrant distress signal radiating from Obi-Wan.

As another scream erupted into the air sending all forms of wildlife to scurry away he increased his pace again, calling dangerously on more of the force in an attempt to reach his tormented Padawan sooner. He could now make out the sounds of a tussle, the growls of a beast and the grunts from a struggling boy.

Qui-Gon burst through the last of the foliage and into the clearing, his heart almost stopped at the sight that greeted him. A vicious looking cougar was _on top_ of Obi-Wan, jaw snapping open and shut in an attempt to take the Padawan's head clean off. Obi-Wan was just about managing to valiantly hold off the attempts from the beast, arms and chest getting scratched up in the process as the boy held back the jaws of death.

Qui-Gon acted immediately already noting that the situation was very close to irreversible, he propelled the monstrous creature off of the struggling Padawan with an almighty force push and jumped to land in front of his apprentice, protecting his kin as a mother would her cub. He could distantly hear Obi-Wan's moans as his addled brain caught up with the fact there was no longer a creature _sitting_ on his chest ready to devour him.

The beast growled in outrage at the newcomer, eyeing the lit light saber warily yet too hungry and starved to be warned off by such a thing. It began to prowl in front of Qui-Gon seeking an entry to lunge at the fallen foe once more, the smell of blood driving it's depraved mind mad with rage. Qui-Gon too growled as he stood protectively in front of Obi-Wan, not backing down his stance for one second. That's what the creature was waiting for, a lapse in judgement.

Qui-Gon prepared himself for what was to come as he touched the creature's mind and saw the inevitable, almost feeling pity for the depraved mind which only wanted food to survive. The pity was abolished as he heard Obi-Wan's whimpers of agony, he stood his ground and swung sure and true once the beast pounced. The carcass hit the floor with a thud, head separated from body.

Qui-Gon sensed outwards for any more signs of trouble, making sure that no other predator had caught onto the scent of blood and was coming their way. Finding none he spun towards his moaning Padawan, sensing out in an attempt to _feel_ how much damage had been done.

As he approached the bleeding Padawan cautiously he felt a warning surge in the force, he had just confirmed there were no other predators nearby so what could be a danger to him? It hit him just at the last moment, of course if it was no other animal then it had to be emanating from Obi-Wan. Quicker than lightening a sure-footed leg swept his feet from under him, he didn't have the time to react against the treasonous act so soon found a lit saber under his throat, his own.

"I win." Obi-Wan whispered meekly, facial expression screwed up in the obvious pain the boy was in. Just the action of leaning over to _capture_ Qui-Gon had been a gruelling affair straining wounds and setting nerve endings alight.

Qui-Gon conceded to the defeat recognising that Obi-Wan was becoming just as cunning as he was, he had not seen that attack coming but perhaps that was his worry for the Padawan clouding his judgement. His worry did not dissipate as even though the Padawan had achieved an incredible feat, he was still badly wounded and Qui-Gon could even feel blood dripping onto his own skin from where the boy was leaning over.

"Treacherous cheater," he grinned whilst carefully taking his saber hilt back, grimacing as he saw the new blood smeared over the edges.

He cautiously moved Obi-Wan back to lay down, careful as to not jostle the various deep cuts and scratches that now peppered his young charge's skin.

"I learned from the best…" Obi-Wan managed to cough and splutter out the response, not willing to miss the chance for a witty comeback.

Qui-Gon only shook his head at the pure obscenity from his charge, here the boy was bleeding and broken yet he always had to have the last word. Very well, Qui-Gon would allow him his wish, the sight of his Padawan like this appealed to his paternal nature.

"Come we need to get you back to camp." Qui-Gon carefully lifted the not-so-light bundle up into his arms, wincing himself as he felt the twinges of agony traverse their bond.

The fact that Obi-Wan didn't object to being carried was a worrisome fact in itself, usually there would have been much indignant squeaking before he even allowed himself to be treated like a _crechling._ Qui-Gon glanced down at his Padawan as he jogged forward remembering exactly the fastest way back to camp where medical supplies waited, Obi-Wan didn't even have his eyes open anymore he had them scrunched tight as every movement jostled the deep cut's.

Thankfully Obi-Wan managed to keep his pain levels to a manageable extent as Qui-Gon hurried back to the campsite, cursing as darkness was already falling around him which made the route even more treacherous. The last thing they needed was for him to fall and injure Obi-Wan further, they could both already sense the sheer amount of blood the young apprentice had lost and of course there was the danger of internal bleeding if one of his cracked ribs moved further.

Just before the entire planet fell into darkness Qui-Gon saw the campsite up ahead, the light which he had left on shining defiantly against the blackness. He raced over to the safety of his tent, depositing Obi-Wan's clammy body gently on the ground before rocketing out again to obtain all the supplies he would need. The boy's temperature had been rising by the second which had Qui-Gon worried, he didn't think infection could set in this soon but perhaps Obi-Wan's immune system had been compromised. The Padawan had regressed to shallow breathing taking his Master's advice in an attempt to lower his heart-rate, it would help to slow the bleeding in his various wounds.

When Qui-Gon returned Obi-Wan was wide awake and alert, somewhat confused as to his new surroundings but instantly relaxing as he caught sight of Qui-Gon. The Jedi Master could see his apprentice was slightly delirious, perhaps from the blood loss perhaps from some sort of infection. He could only clean and dress the wounds, ensure that the bleeding had stopped and aid his Padawan to rest. As much as Qui-Gon wanted to get Obi-Wan off planet they were still miles from the ship, in conditions such as this at night with more predators around it was far safer to tackle the descent at first light, that was of course if Obi-Wan's wounds weren't life threatening.

Obi-Wan's pain filled eyes watched him as he worked, the Padawan attempted to stifle as many moans as he could as the Jedi Master peeled off tattered tunics and set about cleaning the wounds. Strangely the apprentice kept itching his arms, he couldn't stop the annoying habit even when Qui-Gon glared teasingly at his Padawan.

"If you don't stop scratching you'll peel all of your skin off."

Obi-Wan managed to hold off itching for a good 30 seconds before the overwhelming urge had the desired affect, Qui-Gon smiled and shook his head slowly. His Padawan could resist crying out over tremendous injuries but when it came to an itch he regressed to a child, the act had him see Obi-Wan as just that for a few moments, a child and not a Jedi.

"Those blasted bugs…" Obi-Wan replied through gritted teeth as another urge to scratch his limbs washed over him.

Painstaking minutes later Qui-Gon had stemmed all the bleeding, cleaned all the wounds and wrapped his apprentice's ribs as well as possible. He would ensure the boy had no further extraneous activities over fears of the cracked rib causing internal damage, that was the last thing they needed. Obi-Wan had done a marvellous job of relying on the force for pain management, keeping his breathing under control even under such strain. His eyes however shone with the agony throughout Qui-Gon's treatment, the elder Jedi couldn't even risk a glance at his apprentice's face knowing it was be his undoing. The dangerous paternal emotions surfaced as the only thing on his mind was _protecting_ Obi-Wan and keeping him from further harm, signifying a dangerous flaw which was attachment.

Qui-Gon shook the thought away for now knowing that one day he would have to face the fault, but selfishly deciding today would not be that day. He touched his Padawan's mind and projected images of comfort, of _safety_ in an attempt to force the boy to sleep. He poured as many force energies into the more serious wounds as exhaustion finally overpowered pain for Obi-Wan.

"We'll head back to the ship at dawn, it's too dangerous to travel now." Qui-Gon spoke to the near asleep boy, revelling in seeing the pained expression slowly fall away as they both called on the force more.

"We're going home?" Obi-Wan sleepily yawned, extremely close to falling over the abyss and into blissful sleep.

"Yes young one we're going home."

Qui-Gon marvelled at the content smile that spread over his Padawan's face as he finally slid into a pain-free sleep. The Jedi Master reluctantly stepped away from his snoozing Padawan, slipping the boy's saber hilt beside him before retreating out of the tent. Just as he got to the entrance to the tent did he glance back sadly, _Why always you Obi-Wan?_

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 **A/N - Why always Obi-Wan indeed? Perhaps just a crazed writer... Like I said above this should now wrap up in just one more chapter where we finish up a few things.**

 **Until next time...**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Here is the final segment to this little tale, hope you've all enjoyed it!**

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 **Chapter 6**

Qui-Gon's peaceful sleep was interrupted by a distressing tugging on his mind, a painful flaring on the edge of his awareness which the Jedi Master blearily traced back to the training bond he shared with Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan!" He exclaimed as the niggling fully manifested into a thought process.

Obi-Wan, his Padawan was in terrible pain. Qui-Gon leapt out of his sleeping bag and bounded out of the tent towards his tortured apprentice, the boy's agony and discomfort now blinding everything in the force. As he stormed into his Padawan's vicinity he took in every detail in a matter of seconds, concerned gaze falling on the thriving boy who seemed to be half way between sleep and consciousness.

He dropped to the apprentice's side taking the small hand in his own to feel for a pulse, it was racing and Qui-Gon almost pulled away as Obi-Wan's skin was hot to touch, searing to an unhealthy temperature. Obi-Wan's skin was pale and clammy, his face a deathly pallor colour. The entire image completed the haggard nightmare, Qui-Gon's concern rocketed exponentially the more he took in Obi-Wan's appearance, multiplying more as his apprentice's breathing grew harsher.

"Obi-Wan," He shook the boy's shoulders lightly in an attempt to shake him out of unconsciousness some way, "Obi-Wan wake up…"

Obi-Wan's eyes fluttered for a few short seconds before the white's of his eyes reappeared and the tremors racking his young body grew more violent, he had a dangerously high fever. The reason for the illness was apparent as Qui-Gon noted an angry rash covering and spreading over Obi-Wan's skin, painting the ghostly whiteness with splurges of red. This must have been why the boy was itching earlier, Qui-Gon should have realised the extent of the rash or at least looked into why it had appeared in the first place.

Banishing the self-doubting thoughts knowing they would not help the situation at all, Qui-Gon scooped his Padawan up into his arms again this time leaving the blankets behind. Obi-Wan didn't even stir when his Master accidentally jolted his still broken rib, only a slight moan passed his lips which informed Qui-Gon just how deeply engrossed in the fever he was. Obi-Wan couldn't _feel_ anything happening to him in the real world, his mind too lost behind the dangerous fog of delirious fever.

Qui-Gon made a lightning fast decision to leave their camping gear behind, only grabbing both of their weapons and more vital equipment before jogging off towards the crashed vessel. He was sure if the Jedi really wanted the stuff back then they would send a team, right now Obi-Wan's health was his main priority. _When wasn't it?_ His dark thoughts reminded him, this feeling had become a far too common occurrence and frankly Qui-Gon was sick of it.

He bounded along the hiking trail, slashing away offending tree branches and keeping his mind alert for any dangers or perils on the ground. Whilst it was not yet dawn there was at least some light now shining on the world, some speck of hope that he and Obi-Wan wouldn't break their necks on the fast journey downwards.

It took longer than he would have liked but eventually Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made it back to the ship, the Padawan's temperature burned through his clothes so that Qui-Gon actually felt his own skin burning from where he was holding Obi-Wan. He pushed through the discomfort as the pair reached inside the ship and started up the engines with a flick of his wrist, not willing to take his attention off of the ailing Padawan for a task so trivial.

He laid Obi-Wan down on the ship's only couch and went about stripping off the sweat soaked tunics which clung to the boy's clammy skin, glancing around in an attempt to find the medical supplies which would aid in lowering his apprentice's temperature. He found what he was looking for and soon Obi-Wan was covered in ice-packs making his young charge involuntarily shiver.

Content with the arrangement for now Qui-Gon rushed to the forward bridge and completed the take-off procedures, hurrying off planet as fast as the ship would take them. Qui-Gon went to send a communication to the Jedi temple before cursing and thumping the dashboard as he remembered the long-range communication's were knocked out. They would have to be closer for the ship to pick up a signal, so with that deadly thought Qui-Gon blasted the ship into hyper-space and pushed the engines to their extreme. He _needed_ to talk to someone from medical and Obi-Wan _needed_ a doctor sooner rather than later.

Now that the ship was heading home as fast as possible Qui-Gon returned to the urgent needs of his companion, whose distress still tainted their bond. He swiftly returned to the Padawan's side checking his temperature and frowning when he found the ice-packs were having little effect. Obi-Wan's skin still felt like it was on fire. Suddenly the Padawan's brilliant blue eyes peeled open, feverish effects tainting them as he glanced around the surroundings confused.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Where…" Obi-Wan's voice was hoarse and he soon subsided into a coughing fit, Qui-Gon fetched the water and held it to his apprentice's quivering lips.

"We're on our way back to the temple, you have a dangerous fever Obi-Wan." He watched scrutinisingly to see if the boy was understanding his words, from the slight furrowing of his brows Qui-Gon deduced he must be, well to some extent anyway in his still delirious state.

"I need you to work on lowering your body temperature, call on the force." Qui-Gon instructed as he took a cloth and after drenching it in icy water mopped up the sheen of sweat that had been adorning his apprentice's forehead. "I need you to hold on Padawan…" His voice cracked as he felt another burning flare of distress press against his mind, he _hated_ seeing Obi-Wan in pain.

Obi-Wan could hardly talk as he found it abruptly hard to catch any sort of breath, his eyes answered for him though. They held a steely determination that Qui-Gon had seen time and time again, they held so much valiant courage and most importantly a promise that Obi-Wan would not back down from the challenge.

They sat in silence for some time, Obi-Wan drifted in an out of his haze as Qui-Gon replaced ice packs and continued to soak his Padawan's fiery skin with icy water. Slowly but surely his young charge's temperature dropped a few notches, well enough so that Obi-Wan could breathe easier, this of course had the same affect on the Jedi Master.

"How did you do it?" Obi-Wan's voice was less hoarse, his wild eyes less feverish as the query appeared out of the blue.

Qui-Gon was startled slightly by the sudden question, the break in stony silence. He had not expected anything to disturb his musing, especially such a vague query.

"Do what Padawan?"

Obi-Wan's curious eyes lifted to meet his, his will to _know_ the answer to his burning question obviously taking precedence over the injuries peppering his young body.

"How did you win the game time and time again?"

Qui-Gon chuckled over the question realising why Obi-Wan's mind had diverted to that particular thread, it was in this very room that the boy had suffered defeat time and time again. If Obi-Wan were not seriously ill, not at death's doors Qui-Gon would have teased the boy mercilessly, would have held the answer over his head for years to come. Looking down at the shivering form before him caused his heart to swell, he _knew_ he could not keep the secret from Obi-Wan who so very much wanted to know.

"The truth Obi-Wan, I'm just very very lucky." Qui-Gon answered openly, understanding the abashed face Obi-Wan gave him over the answer. It was a mystery to him too why or even how he seemed to have an abundance of luck.

"But what happens when the luck runs out?" Obi-Wan almost whispered, too afraid to think of the consequences of such an action. Qui-Gon knew the boy meant more than just sabaac games but refused to allow the atmosphere to become even more grave.

"I won't let it young one," he teased whilst tugging on the boy's Padawan braid. The action had the desired affect as a wide grin spread over Obi-Wan's face before exhaustion caught up with him and he fell into an exhausted slumber.

Qui-Gon smiled sadly at the sight before standing to check their progress in the cockpit, gladly when he reached the controls the transmitter was indicating they were in range of the temple. He patched through a communication to the temple's healer's ward and moments later the image of Healer Che sprung to life.

"Master Jinn what can I do for you?"

"Healer Che I request assistance, my Padawan has become seriously ill and I don't know how to help him further. We are en-route to the temple and should be with you in 2 standard hours." He smartly informed the healer, just about managing to remain composed even as the image of his suffering Padawan sprang to the forefront of his mind.

"What are his symptoms?" Healer Che leaned forward in apprehension evidently ready to note down any information Qui-Gon could give her.

"He has a dangerously high temperature which isn't responding to normal treatment, at first I thought it must have been an infection from one of his other wounds…" He was cut off from the healer at the mention of _other_ ailments.

"Other wounds?" She stopped note-taking and sternly scrutinised Qui-Gon.

"He was attacked by a cougar and received some rather nasty scratches, I cleaned all of the wounds however and wrapped them in bacta. He was deadly hot and feverish just a few hours later, I was already planning on seeking medical attention when it was safe to hike." Qui-Gon explained miserably under the scrutiny, the healer's gaze softened as she saw how much it was affecting him.

"Infection wouldn't have set in that quickly, there must be something else?"

"He has a nasty rash which now covers most of his body." Qui-Gon confirmed, hopeful that the healer would know what had caused his Padawan's health decline.

"What world were you on Qui-Gon?"

"Tantajoc V" He replied quickly.

She seemed to look up some records on a computer before a grim line adorned her face, seemingly working out what the problem was.

"From the sounds of things Obi-Wan has suffered some sort of allergic reaction to something he came into contact with, I will have to take samples when he gets here to make sure but I'm pretty sure this is the culprit the bush is native to the world." She indicated the offending plant in question over the hologram whilst she finished and made some more notes.

"Is there anything else I can do to help him?" Qui-Gon desperately asked not willing to see his Padawan in pain for much longer.

"Just try and keep his temperature down, keep him calm and have him attempt to lower his core temperature himself." The healer efficiently stated.

Qui-Gon dropped his head over the information, it was much of the same of what he was already doing. Obi-Wan had at least been able to keep his core temperature low enough so as to not be so dangerous anymore, it was evidently set to be a _long_ 2 hours.

"Thank you healer Che." He solemnly replied, knowing the healer had done her best and would do when they returned.

"I'm sorry there's nothing more I can tell you, just get him back as quickly as possible." She added sympathisingly, "May the force be with you Qui-Gon." The healer was gone in a flash leaving Qui-Gon feeling more alone than he ever had in his life.

He returned to Obi-Wan's side after ensuring the craft was on target, taking place at his vigil once more and continuing to dowse the clammy boy with freezing water. It did turn out to be a _very_ lengthy trip indeed, the longest of Qui-Gon's life.

Painstaking hours later they landed at the Jedi temple and were met by a full blown medical team lead by Healer Che, Qui-Gon carried Obi-Wan out to them swiftly and followed the party to the healer's ward, worry the paramount feeling weighing heavily on his heart.

The healer's ran blood works and deciphered just exactly what had come into contact with the Padawan, finding a cure and treatment for the rash in record time. Obi-Wan's delirious rantings certainly kept the staff entertained as they strove to lower his temperature, willed for his fever to break. Many icy bathes and hours later the perilous fever finally did break and Obi-Wan was left alone tucked up in bed to to recover.

Qui-Gon of course remained by his Padawan's side throughout, gripping the boy's hand through tough moments of agony, _feeling_ every part of the experience that Obi-Wan did. It was only fair that he shoulder some of the burden and deal in at least a fraction of the misery since it was partly his fault that Obi-Wan was suffering it in the first place, his _ignorance_ which lead to delayed medical attention.

He stared down at the sleeping Padawan, thankful that now at least his rest was pain-free. The apprentice had been given _very_ strong painkillers as his other wound's were being re-cleaned and wrapped, all the healers becoming sick of his stubborn attitude. Qui-Gon allowed a smile to grace his features for the first time in hours and felt the tension ease away, he had been extremely lucky that Obi-Wan was not more seriously injured or dead for that matter. The stray thought sent shivers down Qui-Gon's spine so he strove to move away from the morbid topic.

Tahl had been right in her predictions the trip had ended up in utter disaster, it would certainly be the last time Qui-Gon tried to take revenge. He had learned his own lesson from the trip and funnily enough didn't mind the new revelation. It seemed Obi-Wan was destined to drive him to the edge of insanity, destined to play the maverick in their relationship. Who was Qui-Gon to argue when that's precisely what he was with the Council? Tahl had been right on that account also, there was no way that with Obi-Wan witnessing all of his dealings that the boy would not pick up on any of them, not _want_ to imitate his Master. Obi-Wan did not rebel out of disrespect, that was far from the truth. He was the way he was because he was simply _honouring_ Qui-Gon's teachings, he wanted to be like his Master.

Qui-Gon realised that even though their apprenticeship was far from _traditional_ he wouldn't change it for the world, Obi-Wan brought a smile to his face and light into his heart even though there was a time when Qui-Gon was sure that he wouldn't _feel_ joy again, when he hadn't cared if he did.

Sitting protectively by his Padawan's side Qui-Gon also accepted Tahl's words about his weakness, this boy had his Master wrapped right around his little finger. He appealed to Qui-Gon's caring nature, he knew staring down at the young boy now there was nothing he would not do to keep him safe.

A smirk pulled at Obi-Wan's lips indicating he had heard his Master's thoughts, Qui-Gon only shook his head in disbelief over the sheer obscenity of his Padawan.

"Young scamp…" He lightly chuckled as Obi-Wan continued to peacefully dream.

Yes, they made a very good team…

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 **A/N - As far as writing these two characters in this time period goes I'm actually planning on doing a book or series much like Revelation of the Sith. I want to get that finished first obviously and the sequel well under way before I start any Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stuff, in the mean time I will still be posting little one shots in temple life!**


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